---Some people are just born under an unlucky star. For those people, life deals them a hard road. It makes hard people, or breaks them in two.

The land is in a state of war. The undersharn has manipulated the upper part of sharn to the point where they are now one. The Drow have succumbed to almost feral pleasures, creating elaborate slave circuits, sex rings, and the like. Wars have recently begun to break out over a precious mineral called "Valnethyst" - one that can be used to forge weapons with an eerie purple glow to them. The effect? Valnethyst-made weapons cut through normal weapons like a hot knife through butter.

Cherine grew up before the resource wars began to go in full swing, though. At a young age, she was found on the doorsteps of a local orphanage. Anthryn Windsor, the proprieter, took her in and promised her that she'd grow up to be someone someday...

..And age she did, until she was fourteen, when the Orphanage was no longer able to support the area in times of war. At this point, Cherine was forced out on her own - working as a bar wench and in several other filthy little hovels to keep herself alive.

..However, one day, a strange black-cloaked woman appeared to her and asked her if she'd like her life to change. Naturally, of course, the answer was yes...under the conditions that she awakened the "real" girl underneath her. Cherine felt nothing that day..until the next day...

The very next day, at age seventeen, her body matured ,and she became a beautiful woman. All in one day! Every flaw in her skin banished...However, there were drawbacks.

She could hear them..plants. Talking to her. Begging her to come closer. At first, she thought she was going crazy..but later she realized she really could hear plants. From trees, to flowers..the lifeblood of the planet would speak to her.

And it would tell her of things. Of a mineral that had to be banished at the source. And of her sister, who was living in torture everyday...And all of those lonely days spent curmudgeoning with locks would come to help...And..somehow, since she were "awakened", she could hear a little bit better..see a little bit better. Was a little bit better than your average human in many ways. By no means superhuman..but somehow better. A better learner. But the curse would soon come..

The first part of the curse was learned when she wandered too close to a nearby ancient flower. It immediately siezed her by the legs and began.."extracting" female..arousal from her. Violently. She'd learned that some plants were tainted from a nearby trent..and, she was a morsel to them for reasons unknown.

The second part, was that she shrinks to the size of about one finger when the number "3" is said aloud, or thought about. She remains in this state for one hour.

The third was a ..need for sex, and human contact. Each day she goes without it, things get worse, and worse. This effect is felt as early as 6 hours after "sating" ......

Not exactly enjoying her new curse, Cherine sought out the one who had put it on her..that same woman told her that to remove it..and keep her appearance, she would have to find her sister...

And not the step-sister who she was taken in by (that had a crush on her ) either. She was told to unlock her past..and everything would become clearer from there..